A Web of Truth and Lies: The Unsolved Disappearance of Barbara Cotton

Vanished at Kent State: The Unsolved Disappearance of Judy Martins

Just before Memorial Day weekend in 1978, a college student visited a residence hall on the campus of Kent State University. Photos from that night show her smiling and laughing with friends, wearing a playful wig as part of a costume she put on to prank her friends. But sometime after midnight, she left the dorm room to make what should have been a short walk back to her own dorm, a distance reported to be only a few hundred yards. She never made it. In the days and years that followed, the investigation into her disappearance would take countless turns. There were rumors, reported sightings, psychics, and even speculation surrounding a convicted killer believed to have been living in the area at the time. Now, decades later, the case is receiving renewed attention and those taking a fresh look at Judy’s disappearance wonder whether the answers may be with the people she was last with on campus. TIPS: U.S. Marshals at 1-866-4WANTED Case suggestions: simplertimecrimepod@gmail.com IG: @simplertimecrimepod Youtube: https://youtube.com/@simplertimecrimepod?si=OlCWQ2Ky8qFaof02 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@simplertimecrimep?_t=8s31x9iCrNv&_r=1 Music By Universfield: https://pixabay.com/music/mystery-dramatic-atmosphere-with-piano-and-violin-143149/ Thumbmail art: Lauren Kelty, host of True Crime BFF Podcast Source Material: https://www.record-courier.com/story/news/crime/2018/05/24/i-think-about-her/12078184007/ https://www.pbs.org/video/vital-pages-what-happened-to-judy-martins-8ajtk9/ https://www.pbswesternreserve.org/blogs/luminus-stories-about-us/we-never-stopped-looking-the-search-for-judy-martins-continues/ https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Files/Law-Enforcement/Investigator/Ohio-Missing-Persons/Missing-Adults-1/Martins [https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Files/Law-Enforcement/Investigator/Ohio-Missing-Persons/Missing-Adults-1/Martins] https://charleyproject.org/case/judy-martins [https://charleyproject.org/case/judy-martins] https://websleuths.com/threads/oh-judy-martins-22-kent-24-may-1978.51675/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-galion-inquirer-kent-state-coed-is-m/198060107/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-cleveland-press-statewide-alert-issu/198100884/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-akron-beacon-journal-information-sou/198100911/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-cleveland-press-cleveland-area-co-ed/198101056/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-akron-beacon-journal-missing-coed-in/198101711/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-plain-dealer-police-plan-to-use-a-he/198106023/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-tribune-more-on-mexico/198107030/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-akron-beacon-journal-garage-sale-dea/198108726/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-akron-beacon-journal-no-new-leads/198109904/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/dayton-daily-news-1980-nearly-two-years/198110818/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-akron-beacon-journal-10k-offered/198111688/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-akron-beacon-journal-posey-isnt-lin/198111752/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-akron-beacon-journal-ksu-reward-ends/198111832/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-akron-beacon-journal-posey-caught/198111879/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-plain-dealer-where-is-judy-martins/198112109/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-plain-dealer-where-is-judy-martins-p/198114566/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-plain-dealer-where-is-judy-page-3/198114660/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-plain-dealer-god-let-it-be/198115878/ https://darkdowneast.com/irisbrown/ Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/a-simpler-time-true-crime--6665681/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/a-simpler-time-true-crime--6665681/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss].

Catching The Monster of Davidson Avenue: The Solved 1996 Murder of Jasmine Porter

In February of 1996, a pregnant woman is attacked in her Bronx apartment with her young son as a witness to the brutal crime. The case seems like it is going to be solved early on when a witness comes forward and names who they say did this. But as quickly as this comes together, it falls apart and the case goes cold for over two decades. That was until a series of events lands the case in the hands of Bronx Homicide Detective Robert Klein who starts reworking the case from the beginning. The investigation into Jasmine’s murder perfectly illustrates how nothing is as seen on TV. Detective Klein’s thoughts on who did it weaved in and out of different people in Jasmine’s social circle as he reinterviewed key people. That was until a DNA hit revealed a name that was nowhere in the police file and uncovered a monster who had terrorized the women of Davidson Avenue for years.   Episode Guest: Robert Klein  Case suggestions: simplertimecrimepod@gmail.com IG: @simplertimecrimepod Youtube: https://youtube.com/@simplertimecrimepod?si=OlCWQ2Ky8qFaof02 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@simplertimecrimep?_t=8s31x9iCrNv&_r=1 Music By Universfield: https://pixabay.com/music/mystery-dramatic-atmosphere-with-piano-and-violin-143149/ Thumbmail art: Lauren Kelty, host of True Crime BFF Podcast Source Material: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/19/insider/a-break-in-a-bronx-cold-case-sends-a-reporter-back-to-the-beginning.html [https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/19/insider/a-break-in-a-bronx-cold-case-sends-a-reporter-back-to-the-beginning.html] https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/03/nyregion/jasmine-porter-murder-bronx.html [https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/03/nyregion/jasmine-porter-murder-bronx.html] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/10/nyregion/bronx-cold-case-strangling-plea.html https://www.norwoodnews.org/bronx-man-gets-12-years-for-killing-2nd-pregnant-woman-in-1996-had-also-killed-woman-in-1987/ https://www.bronxda.nyc.gov/downloads/pdf/pr/2026/10-2026-Gregory-Fleetwood-sentenced-1996-strangling-pregnant-woman.pdf https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-reporter-dispatch-thelma-martin/197752043/ Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/a-simpler-time-true-crime--6665681/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/a-simpler-time-true-crime--6665681/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss].

The Camera on Bumblebee Road: The Unsolved Double Homicide of Brandon Rumbaugh and Lisa Gurrieri

In 2003, a young couple heads into the remote desert of Yavapai County to celebrate their anniversary. They only had time for a quick overnight trip, so they decided to spend the evening together beneath the stars, camping in the back of a pickup truck. But when the two failed to show up to obligations the next morning, friends began to worry.  Because the couple had shared their camping plans with people close to them, the friends and family searching for them had a starting point on where to look for them and locate the truck. And when they approached it, they walked into the worst-case scenario. Nearby, a damaged disposable camera was recovered that appeared to have been intentionally destroyed. Despite that attempt, police were still able to process the film inside. Out of all the photos recovered, three images in particular immediately stood out to investigators. More than twenty years later, people are still asking the same question: were those three photographs an important clue to what happened that night, or a red herring that sent investigators down the wrong path? TIPS: Yavapai Silent Witness is offering up to a $10,000 cash reward for information that leads to an arrest in this case. You can call 1-800-932-3232 or submit a tip at yavapaisw.com [http://yavapaisw.com/]. All tips are anonymous. CrimeStoppers at (337) 239-2233 where you can remain anonymous Case suggestions: simplertimecrimepod@gmail.com IG: @simplertimecrimepod Youtube: https://youtube.com/@simplertimecrimepod?si=OlCWQ2Ky8qFaof02 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@simplertimecrimep?_t=8s31x9iCrNv&_r=1 Music By Universfield: https://pixabay.com/music/mystery-dramatic-atmosphere-with-piano-and-violin-143149/ Thumbmail art: Lauren Kelty, host of True Crime BFF Podcast Source Material: https://www.eastvalleytribune.com/news/argument-may-have-preceded-couples-death/article_7872e9dc-6a7c-54fb-a593-2cf3c14a77d7.html https://www.aetv.com/articles/a-facebook-message-led-to-a-conviction-in-couple-s-beach-murder-after-13-years https://www.yavapaisw.com/cold-cases https://www.ladbible.com/news/us-news/lisa-gurrieri-brandon-rumbaugh-shooting-arizona-241323-20250524 https://www.abc15.com/news/state/mother-hopes-for-answers-nearly-two-decades-after-murder-of-lisa-gurrieri-brandon-rumbaugh?_amp=true https://www.abc15.com/news/crime/nearly-20-years-since-the-murders-of-lisa-gurrieri-and-brandon-rumbaugh-in-yavapai-county https://www.reddit.com/r/creeptimethepodcast/comments/1nev9k6/ep_152_mysterious_found_footage_the_bumblebee/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic-couple-found-in-pick-up/196992021/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic-foul-play-suspected-12/196992115/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic-foul-play-suspected-22/196992599/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/tucson-citizen-gunshots-cause-of-death/196992899/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic-pair-found-guns/196992941/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic-son-is-joyful-goofy/196993450/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic-brandon-obit/196993603/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic-man-questioned/196993664/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic-lisa-obit/196993746/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic-lisa-dad-obit/196993835/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic-man-seen-at-apt-before/197209128/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic-srp-support/197209410/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic-rusty-rankin/197209956/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic-slain-counselors-seen-a/197210597/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/arizona-republic-10k-reward-offered/197211248/ Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/a-simpler-time-true-crime--6665681/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/a-simpler-time-true-crime--6665681/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss].

A Web of Truth and Lies: The Unsolved Disappearance of Barbara Cotton

One night in the spring of 1981, a North Dakota teenager didn’t come home. Sometimes when it feels like someone has vanished into thin air, there are very few leads to go on. And for many of the decades that followed, that’s how this case appeared to people outside the local area. There was one clear last sighting of Barb, and then she was gone. But as the case was revisited and looked at more closely by her family, an investigative podcaster, and members of the community, it became clear that there had always been quiet talk about what may have happened to her. A mysterious boyfriend. A killer passing through town. And clues that pointed closer to home. In this episode, I talk through those pieces with Barb’s younger sister, Kathy, and share what has been uncovered, along with where the case stands today, 45 years later. TIPS:Williston Police Department (North Dakota) 1-701-577-1212 [https://tel] Case suggestions: simplertimecrimepod@gmail.com IG: @simplertimecrimepod Youtube: https://youtube.com/@simplertimecrimepod?si=OlCWQ2Ky8qFaof02 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@simplertimecrimep?_t=8s31x9iCrNv&_r=1 Music By Universfield: https://pixabay.com/music/mystery-dramatic-atmosphere-with-piano-and-violin-143149/ Thumbmail art: Lauren Kelty, host of True Crime BFF Podcast Source Material: Interview: Kathy N - Barb's sister https://findbarbcotton.com/ https://dakotaspotlight.com/barbara-cotton-disappearance/ https://crimeblogger1983.blogspot.com/ https://charleyproject.org/case/barbara-louise-cotton [https://charleyproject.org/case/barbara-louise-cotton] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/83582081/stacey_demarr-werder [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/83582081/stacey_demarr-werder] https://medium.com/@gabulosis/barbara-cotton-a-family-is-still-searching-for-answers-over-4-decades-later-31a52cabaf80 [https://medium.com/@gabulosis/barbara-cotton-a-family-is-still-searching-for-answers-over-4-decades-later-31a52cabaf80] https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-bismarck-tribune-williston-woman-won/195052811/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-dickinson-press-williston-woman-stil/195044356/ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/12197903/franklin_leonard-cotton [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/12197903/franklin_leonard-cotton] https://www.missingkids.org/poster/NCMC/796102/1 [https://www.missingkids.org/poster/NCMC/796102/1] Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/a-simpler-time-true-crime--6665681/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/a-simpler-time-true-crime--6665681/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss].

Arrest Made in Cindy Wanner Case: An Update with Original Episode

An arrest has been made in the 1991 Killing of Cindy Wanner. Here you'll hear the original episode plus the updates.  A mother is making a little extra money by cleaning her sister's house in an upscale neighborhood. She is feeding her eleven-month old daughter cereal in her high chair while cleaning each room. Somewhere in a small forty-five minute window, someone would gain access to the house and brazenly abduct Cindy in front of her child. Cindy would be found murdered three weeks later, but the autopsy would reveal that she had been kept alive for two weeks after her abduction and open up the investigation to a whole new round of questions. Was there a new serial killer operating in an area that had already been plagued by a few? Was her case related to other crimes in the area? Cindy's case is so solvable, with DNA evidence just waiting for witness testimony to strengthen the case. Case suggestions: simplertimecrimepod@gmail.com IG: @simplertimecrimepod Youtube: https://youtube.com/@simplertimecrimepod?si=OlCWQ2Ky8qFaof02 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@simplertimecrimep?_t=8s31x9iCrNv&_r=1 Music By Universfield: https://pixabay.com/music/mystery-dramatic-atmosphere-with-piano-and-violin-143149/ Thumbmail art: Lauren Kelty, host of True Crime BFF Podcast New Updates Links for Sources: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/28/cindy-wanner-cold-case-murder [https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/28/cindy-wanner-cold-case-murder] https://www.ktvu.com/news/placer-county-cindy-wanner-cold-case-arrest [https://www.ktvu.com/news/placer-county-cindy-wanner-cold-case-arrest] https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/cindy-wanner-cold-case-murder-granite-bay-arrest-placer-county/ https://www.azfamily.com/2026/04/29/bullhead-city-residents-shock-after-neighbor-arrested-1991-california-cold-case/ Link to Golden State Killer Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5IKmGf0PQ5By58ulfXLz1E?si=e39ba536fc214b86 Link to Episode on Yosemite Murders: https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/murder-in-paradise-the-yosemite-murders/id1122650415?i=1000386193409 https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sacramento-bee-cindy-wanner-cause-of/150321293/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sacramento-bee-break-may-come-in-91/150322532/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sacramento-bee-cindy-wanner-identifi/150322590/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sacramento-bee-cindy-wanner-autopsy/150322654/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-press-tribune-cindy-wanner-atm-card/150322732/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-bismarck-tribune-atm-card-may-leave/150322834/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sacramento-bee-purse-missing-wanner/150323743/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-press-tribune-1993-wanner-calls-stil/150323841/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sacramento-bee-pacer-slaying-dec-17/150323948/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sacramento-bee-dec-10-1991-atm-car/150323999/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sacramento-bee-little-evidence-found/150324033/ https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sacramento-bee-fbi-enters-kidnapping/150324100/ https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/cold-case-homicides-that-haunt-the-greater-sacramento-area/103-47735993 Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/a-simpler-time-true-crime--6665681/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/a-simpler-time-true-crime--6665681/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss].